


here in search of your glory

by thewayofthetrashcompactor (BriarLily)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Duelling, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Horny Reylo, Minor Violence, No Pregnancy, Oral Sex, Regicide, Semi-Public Sex, Smut, Soft Ben Solo, Tournaments, implied exhibitionism, they are very soft for each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:15:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22946125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriarLily/pseuds/thewayofthetrashcompactor
Summary: Ben Solo, now Kylo Ren, has spent years on the road, planning his revenge against Snoke for taking his home and family from him. When Snoke takes over a small keep led by a Lady Rey, Ben finds his opportunity.(Rating increased for second chapter)
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 24
Kudos: 129





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally started this after the [Adam's third SNL appearance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KKRiXcivAQ), which was deeply inspiring, then the [Last Duel photos](https://twitter.com/AdamDriverBRA/status/1233066012406362113?s=19) got me thinking about this again. Second part will be posted tomorrow and the rating will go up.
> 
> title from last of the real ones, the official reylo anthem, [thank you pete wentz](https://twitter.com/petewentz/status/1218286454847131648?s=20).
> 
> disclaimer: I put as much historical research into this as they did into the SNL sketch. It's about the _aesthetic_.

Ben stared across the arena, waiting for his name to be called. One by one, his fellow fighters stepped forward. None of them wore the gleaming armor he remembered from the tournaments of his youth where he watched the kind of elegant warriors bards sang about fighting in noble battle. The knights here wore whatever they could find, from mismatched pieces of plate older than their wearer to stiffened leather stained with drink. 

"Challenger Kylo Ren," the herald announced.

He swallowed the lump of shame that arose at the sound of his new name, given now that he was no longer fit to bear the one of his birth. He walked across the arena, aware of the muttering from the stands as he passed. He joined the other contestants, standing before the covered dias where the lady of the keep and its conqueror waited. Even among the motley assortment gathered for entertainment, he stood out in his loose leather tunic and breeches. None of the others had dared come so unprotected. He glared into the sky above the dias, refusing to acknowledge those looking down on him. 

Silence stretched, then the herald walked past him, preparing to announce the terms of the tournament now that all the fighters were gathered. Ben began to think that the host hadn't recognized him with all that had changed since they last met. Ben's hair had grown out and he braided it back from his face these days, instead of letting it curl above his shoulders. His face had turned lean and harder during his time on the roads and his beard had grown too now that he lacked the tools to stay clean-shaven. He kept his clothes clean and mended, but they couldn't compare to the fine fabrics he'd once worn. Everything about his appearance spoke to a rough man who fought to survive. He couldn't imagine what remained of the noble heir he'd once been. 

Whatever it was, Snoke saw it. "A pity your lands couldn't raise any more able contestants, Lady Rey," he said, his voice carrying across the field. Ben didn't need to look to picture the sneer on his face. "This lot looks like they'll barely last long enough to provide a laugh. Particularly that last one at the end. Do you think his lack of armor speaks to arrogance or ignorance?"

Ben couldn't help himself. His eyes dropped to Rey, watching her reaction. She held herself as stiff as the tall oaks they'd first met under, unbowed by a breeze so insignificant as the man beside her.

"Well?" Snoke demanded when she failed to answer.

Her head turned the smallest fraction towards him. "Perhaps once he fights, you'll learn the answer yourself," she said, voice steady and almost void of emotion. 

Snoke laughed, the sound like a dull knife dragged against Ben's skin. He stiffened, but still didn't look at the man. 

Snoke noticed. "Kylo Ren," he said, dragging the name out. "Step forward."

Gritting his teeth, Ben obeyed. The plan was so close to completion. He couldn't let himself be goaded into failure now. 

"That arrogance…" Snoke mused. "It puts me in mind of another keep, several years ago. Far grander than this one of course."

"Of course," Rey echoed with her jaw clenched. 

"It's defenses were formidable," Snoke went on. "Perhaps I could conquer them with the forces I have now, but perhaps even my full armies would not have succeeded. Those walls had stood strong against many foes, even my predecessor, before I toppled them."

Ben kept himself completely still, refusing to allow himself to react. His hands burned to take up his sword and fight his way through Snoke's guards to their master, but they were ready for him to do just that. He cared little for his own life, but he could not fail in his mission.

"As fortune would have it," Snoke continued, the malice in his voice growing like a poison, slick and burning as it sank into Ben's veins. "We did not have to fight their armies in a siege that would have decimated my forces and still failed. I had the forethought to begin communication at a young age with the heir to the castle, a boy who grew into a man convinced of the rightness of my cause, the necessity of my Order and welcomed the justice I brought. When the time came, all I had to do was send a message to my loyal servant and he opened the way for us. Hardly a drop of blood spilled."

Silence reigned in the courtyard. Everyone present likely knew of the fall of the castle Snoke spoke of, but would not have heard this version of the story. "Well," Snoke amended, cruel satisfaction oozing from his tone. "Hardly a drop from my forces. The defending army… " He let the implication hang. All of them knew too well the bloody cost of Snoke's victories on the part of those he subdued. "Let it suffice to say that I personally ensured the death of the lord and lady. The son I left alive, as a gift for his assistance." 

Ben felt the icy weight of Snoke's blue stare on him. He still refused to return the look. His entire being blazed with fury and guilt, every muscle tensed with the need to cut into the inhuman creature in front of him. 

"I do not believe I had told you of this victory yet, my lady," Snoke said, with a sickly note of false concern.

"You had not," Rey answered, her voice betraying no vulnerability. 

"I apologize sincerely for the oversight," Snoke said. Bile rose in Ben's throat at the barely suppressed glee in the man's tone. "It is certainly a tale of interest to you. If I had not secured this early victory, I could never have expanded my reach across the land as I have, even unto your small hold."

Ben couldn't resist, and his eyes found Rey's face, drawn there by forces stronger than any he'd fought before. He had told her of his betrayal, poured out his confession to her alone, and she had still allied herself with him. But perhaps time had forced her to reconsider, perhaps she had found a better option than a traitorous rogue and realized the cost of his actions were too high for her to accept. His gaze met hers, desperate and searching, and found only steely resolve. His spine strengthened. She was determined, and so was he. They had set this course together and would see its end. 

Tearing her gaze from his, she leveled it on Snoke. "I said you had not told me the story," she said, as casual and condescending as a queen to a peasant. "Not that I had not heard it."

Ben looked at Snoke just long enough to catch his frozen expression of superior concern, while he hid his own smirk from sight. 

"How… well-informed you are, my lady," Snoke said at least. "A pity knowledge of these events could not help you avoid them. How often do the ignorant mistake knowledge for wisdom and blunder into circumstances they don't understand? So many die for the folly of thinking one bit of knowledge makes them the master of their situation."

"How very true," Rey said, smiling for the first time that day. The expression gave her face the hungry cast of a large cat approaching its prey. A thrill ran through Ben at the sight. 

Snoke's eyes narrowed, but instead of responding, he turned his gaze back to Ben. "As I said, this took place several years ago. Hardly worth mentioning other than as a note in the Order's success in all things." He spoke with calculated carelessness even as his cold eyes glittered with intent. "There was simply something about this wretch that reminded me of that family," he said, waving an uncaring hand towards Ben. "They've fallen out of memory by now. His pitiable state serves to remind the reckless among us how far there is to fall."

Ben held his gaze, refusing to break first. Without looking away, Snoke shouted to the herald. "Let the tournament begin!" 

A horn broke through the stillness of the field, and the other contestants fled to their starting positions. Ben remained a moment longer, then gave Snoke his back. 

He barely reached his assigned position before his name was called. Unsurprised at being drawn for the first match, he turned to make his way to the center of the field, hand on the hilt of his sword. His weapon was better than what most of the others there would be able to afford, and he'd done his best to keep it in good shape and maintain its edge while he was on the road, but it would never be mistaken for a noble's. The blade showed signs of wear, and the pommel looked ill-formed from his attempts to suit it to his grasp, which he'd tried to ease with spare strips of leather. 

His opponent faced him, his grip on his flail shaky at best. His armor had been badly painted green and had too many dents for the design to be recognizable. He had no quarrel with the man; likely everyone fighting today was in no better straits than him. But they needed time for their plan, so he would have to play this farce to its end. 

The horn blew, starting the fight. Ben's opponent swung his weapon with a jerky twitch that almost missed Ben entirely. Ben sighed internally before sweeping the man's feet out from under him and bending to press his sword to his throat. The flail fell from the man's hands in surrender. 

Ben held the position, waiting for the herald to call the match. Quiet hung around them in the pause, and Ben wondered if Snoke would insist on the killing blow. Ben had killed and would kill more to reach his goal, but this death would be neither noble nor necessary. And Rey wouldn't want it. 

Perhaps Snoke realized that the keep would still need men left if he wanted it to add to his holdings, because the herald finally announced Kylo Ren as the winner and called the next set of fighters to the field. Ben left, not sparing a glance for the man who still lay on the ground. 

The day progressed, time marked by the sound of the horn between bouts, the clash of weapons, and the slow progress of the sun across the sky. Ben found himself called up more often than he should have been if this were a real tournament, but Snoke had orchestrated the whole spectacle for his entertainment and did as he liked. No men of honor fought here. Unbound by rules of combat, the contestants fought with anything at hand, down to their own fists in the dirtier matches. Each time, Ben barely left the field of battle before he was called back again. No one there had anything near his training, and he surpassed most of them in experience as well. Snoke's forces had already cut down most of the truly skilled fighters from the region, and those that were left found themselves unable to fill the gap. 

Ben did his best to make his battles as quick and bloodless as possible, feeling Rey's eyes on him the entire time. He didn't look at her, couldn't. But he knew how she'd fought with her small band to create this small stronghold from the struggling lands around it. He couldn't know which of his opponents she knew, which ones she might rely on to keep the town from falling back into lawlessness. 

Sometimes they made it easy for him to secure a swift victory. Younger ones too intimidated to hold their weapons properly, older ones who recognized his strength and knew the value of retreat. But then others saw his victories as a challenge and his lack of armor as an invitation and refused to go down without a battle. He had less sympathy for them. Rey didn't need those who were so stupid or so willing to sacrifice themselves for the amusement of an invader. He subdued them easily in the early battles, knocking their weapons from their hands. 

As the day wore on, the unending fights took their toll on him. He was in far from ideal shape for such a battle of endurance. His meals came when he could afford them, never of good quality, and his bed was whatever ground he could call his own for the night. His strikes came slower, so uncoordinated that the young man he'd been before he'd begun this journey would have been appalled. He still won every fight, but his opponents now were those who had won their own battles and intended to beat him next. He sent them away limping or with arms clutched to their sides, injuries that would take more than a few days to heal. 

The edges of the field slowly emptied. Those beaten left to nurse their wounds and their pride, and those remaining became more dangerous. They could see their own victory now, and it stood on the other side of Kylo Ren's sword. Ben gathered thin cuts along his arms where he failed to dodge incoming blows. Worse was the swipe across his chest when he left it unguarded that burned as it bled. His opponent left his own side open to score the hit, and Ben paid him back with a thrust that sunk into the gap in the man's armor and pierced his stomach. The man fell back, clutching the wound. He tried to lead with another attack, but Ben had already gained the advantage and brought his sword to his neck. 

The look in the man's eyes made Ben think that the man might still try to gain victory, and he pressed his sword harder to the man's exposed skin. Eyes still blazing, he fell back, hands raised, and the herald called Kylo's victory. His opponent was helped from the field, hand still pressed to his side, and Ben thought he wouldn't mind if the man's injury proved to be fatal. Ben adjusted his tunic, grimacing at the slice that opened the top of it further. 

As Ben returned to his post, walking tall, as if he didn't feel the pain of the wound on his chest, he allowed himself a brief glance back towards the head of the field. Both Rey and Snoke watched him, Snoke with his usual sneer, while the look in Rey's eyes made him want to turn and give up their plan to run towards her. He would take her in his arms, feel hers around him, strong and true. Instead, he forced himself to face the next pair taking their places on the field. Soon. Ben ran a hand through his long hair, sweeping it back from his shoulders. 

Ben took that glimpse of her with him through the next couple fights, until only one other man was left on the field with him. The redhead was one of Snoke's, placed in the tournament to prove his master's superiority over the local rabble. He'd cut his way through his opponents with ease, using his sword that shone with the brilliance of being recently forged and rarely used to break his opponent’s weapons or slice apart their armor. His battles were the bloodiest, leaving the most corpses, though he always took care to meticulously clean his sword between each bout. 

The redhead smirked at Ben as they met in the center of the field. His dismissive gaze ran over Ben's lack of armor, imperfect sword, and the small injuries he'd already gained. The look he leveled at Ben once he'd finished his perusal clearly said he didn't think Ben was worth his time or effort to subdue. Ben breathed out and adjusted his grip on his sword. 

The horn blew and the fight began. The redhead lunged forward, sword aimed for Ben's neck. Even in his rundown state, Ben easily stepped aside and returned with a blow to the man's middle. His eyes widened in shock, unused to having his prey strike back. Ben's lips curved in a hint of a smile. Excitement and adrenaline flowed through him, giving him the energy he needed to see this through to the end. He thought about Rey watching him and rolled his shoulders, opening his stance to invite the redhead's next move. The man swung, and with a grin, Ben settled into the fight in earnest. 

Snoke's man seemed to have been chosen to make him prove himself to his lord. The man had no great skill at fighting, despite his training. Ben could imagine him failing in the first round of any real tournament. Here, he could pretend to at least be competent, but Ben knew he was better. The man left himself open again and again, but instead of taking the chance and ending the fight, Ben dragged it out, scoring only glancing blows. Rey would need time. From the top of the field, Ben heard a muffled shout, and his opponent tried to turn towards the source. Ben swung hard, clashing his sword against the other man's with a resounding blow. He gritted his teeth as the shock ran up his arm, but the move succeeded in bringing the man's attention back to where it needed to be, and hopefully drew the eyes of those around them as well. 

Ben didn't relent, swinging blow after blow at the man, barely giving him time to strike back. Ben's tunic stuck to his skin and his muscles burned with the exertion, but he kept his pace. A more skilled swordsman would have taken advantage of Ben's theatrical style, found the gaps in his wide strokes, but it took all of the redhead's focus to hold his ground. Ben danced around the man, every move as large and loud as he could make it. His hair flew around his face, nearly blocking his sight, but the braids he'd put in kept the long strands from sticking to his face. He felt sure the focus was on the two of them, the entertainment the crowd had been promised, finally living up to the spectacle they'd been waiting for. Even Snoke would be watching to ensure his final victory over Ben. 

Or he had been. 

Even as he controlled the fight, putting on a show, Ben strained to listen for the sounds of another struggle. For a short while, he heard the quick steps of boots on wood, another brief clash of metal, a short shout, and then finally silence. He continued for another few blows, then chanced a look over his opponent's head to the dias. Only a lone figure remained, watching. His heart leapt into his throat. The redhead took advantage of his distraction and landed a deep cut across Ben's arm, but Ben hardly noticed. Lip curled in annoyance, he kicked the man to the ground, interrupting his next blow. The man's expression changed swiftly from victory to confusion. Ben stabbed him before he could react further and left him bleeding out as he ran across the field to Rey. 

She stood tall and proud, a sword he recognized held by her side. As he drew closer, he saw the blood dripping down it. The body of the man who had thought to conquer her lands lay crumpled on the platform next to her, his golden robe drenched in red. Behind her lay his guards. 

Ben dropped to one knee in front of her, hands on his sword held in front of him.

"Lord Skywalker," Rey said, and he raised his head to meet her eyes. Gasps came from the stands around them. 

"Ben," he corrected quietly. She nodded and smiled, that soft curve of her lips making his heart skip a beat. 

"Ben," she repeated, her voice pitched to reach only him. "Stand up, please."

He hesitated. Still kneeling, staring into her beautiful eyes, he struggled to remember his mother's lessons. "You need to address your people. I can't… Not now." 

Her lips pursed, but she didn't push him. Raising her voice, she spoke to the crowds. "The usurper has been defeated!" she announced, daring anyone to challenge her. Ben raised himself and moved to stand to the right of her dias, adding the weight of his presence and sword to her declaration. "His champion has been defeated, and we will no longer suffer his presence on our lands. Tomorrow, we will send his head back to his vassals. Tonight, we will celebrate." 

The crowds cheered and Ben watched out of the corner of his eye as Rey's shoulders slumped in relief. He knew how uncomfortable she felt with the grand gestures and speeches that came with leadership, especially anything that approached diplomacy. She was like him: proud and good with a sword, but she'd used her skill to bring some semblance of peace to the struggling lands she'd grown up in. He could only attempt to be so noble. 

Rey turned to leave the field and he followed her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben celebrate their reunion and victory

Ben slipped out of the hall, leaving the noise and smoke of the packed room behind. He turned down an empty hallway, walking until he found a narrow slit in the stone wall that let in cool night air. He'd stayed behind Rey for most of the day as what seemed like every person in town came to talk with her. Each of them insisted they had an urgent matter that only she could deal with, and Rey had handled them as best she could, though he saw her hand twitching towards her sword more than once. 

Even once everyone had gathered for the feast, people kept coming up to her. He saw the way they looked at him, fear and suspicion clear on their faces. They looked at the man on Rey's other side, one of Snoke's soldiers who'd led a revolt amongst his forces, the same way. Finn's rebellion had kept those loyal from defending their former lord, completing the last crucial part of the planned insurrection. 

Ben sighed and leaned against the wall. His hair had started to fall out of his braids and drifted over his shoulders to curtain his face. He hadn't had a chance to change out of his stained and ripped leather tunic, not that he had a spare, and it showed more of his chest than was decent after his battles. He'd fought towards this day for so long, lived to see Snoke die. He'd never considered what it might be like to live past that battle. He'd spent so many years on the road, chasing Snoke's armies and trying to find his chance. He'd only been back among civilized people for a day and already realized how little he belonged. He knew all the manners appropriate for court and could kill his way through any group of thieves that took him for a weak target. But here, the people had built their own way of living, fought for it together. They had their rhythm of life and it couldn't be clearer that he was an outsider. 

He pressed his forehead to the rough stone, lost in his thoughts. He didn't notice someone approaching him until the sound of footsteps drew close. He jumped, turning to face the noise, then relaxed when he saw Rey within arm's reach. 

"Rey," he said, some of his dark mood dissipating. 

She smiled, the expression clear even in the dim light of the hall. She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around him. "Ben," she breathed, and he fell into her. 

His arms clutched at her, checking for himself that every part of her was uninjured as he had been unable to earlier. She tilted her face up to his, her mouth suckling along his chin and jaw before he angled his head down to her, catching her lips with his. She welcomed him, tongue darting out to meet his, and he groaned as the kiss deepened. She felt familiar under his mouth and hands, and he delighted in the chance to reacquaint himself with her. It had been far too long since they'd been able to do this. Their last meeting had been too brief for more than a few hurried kisses, and he'd missed her desperately. Her response told him she'd missed him too. 

Her hands smoothed his hair back out of his face, threading through the long strands to hold him to her. He had no intentions of leaving. He should let her go back to the hall, to her people, but he'd waited for long enough. He was selfish and intended to make up for the time they'd spent apart. The way she held him, her lips devouring his, said she had no intentions of leaving either. 

Ben's hands ran up her sides, along the strong arms that clutched him tight, then down again to her back. He felt her warmth through her dress, and it reminded him that they'd really done it. They'd won, and she was really here, whole and beautiful, with him. His hands dragged up her back to her shoulders, gripping there before moving towards her neck. She gasped into his mouth as he passed a tender spot on her shoulder, the sound different from the small noises of pleasure shared between them. He froze, then pulled back, ignoring her groan of protest. 

"Are you hurt?" he murmured. His fingers trailed lightly over the spot where they'd stopped, searching for a wound. 

"No--" she tried to say, then winced when he brushed over the same area. 

He drew back further to see her fully. Her hands tangled in his hair kept him from going far, but he could see from her shoulders down to her waist. He squinted in the dim torchlight, the moonlight from the window helping little. There, just under the neckline of her dress, a line of red. He pulled at her clothing, trying to reveal it further, but the dress dragged over her skin, making her wince again. 

"Take this off," he demanded, tugging at the fabric over her shoulder. 

She leered up at him. "Moving fast, aren't you?” 

He smirked back. “If you’ll remember, that was never a flaw of mine.”

“True,” she admitted, then sighed theatrically. “Very well, if you insist, my lord,” she said, playing at solemnity though her twitching lips betrayed her.

He rolled his eyes, but she turned her back to him so he could unlace her. "I'm not a lord," he muttered as he pulled the laces out from the dress. 

"Semantics," she huffed. "I'm not a lady, but everyone insists on calling me one anyway. You're much better suited to the title than me." 

He reached the bottom of the laces and pulled the dress apart until it fell from her shoulders to settle around her elbows. He leaned in and dragged his nose along the graceful curve of her neck, stopping to press a kiss to her shoulder. "You remain the most incredible lady I have ever seen," he said, whispering the words into her skin. 

She laughed, scrunching her shoulders, but he heard the pleased note. She turned in his arms and looked up at him. "You're biased," she informed him. 

He kissed her again, unable to resist. Their lips lingered as they parted. "I have never told you a word of a lie," he promised. She smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. He kissed those too. "Unlike you," he continued, returning from his distraction. "Let me see that." He held her neck in one hand and gripped her shoulder in the other, to the side of the wound. 

She sighed. "It's truly nothing."

"Lie," he chided gently. He leaned in to see it better. "Did Snoke do this to you?" 

She nodded. "I was quick, but he must have been expecting something."

Ben's lips pressed together, working. "He was clever. My presence likely tipped him off."

Rey ran her hand through her hair, and he leaned into the touch. "He _was_ ," she emphasized. "We won."

He tightened his hand on her shoulder. "I should have kept you from getting hurt."

She rolled her eyes. "It's a scratch! He went for my neck with his knife, but I dodged. And then I killed him." 

He examined the wound as she spoke. It had pierced her shoulder, but hadn't gone deep. It was more than a scratch, but not anything too deep, and it was clean. He pressed a gentle kiss next to it. “A worthy wound then,” he murmured, breath fanning over her skin. He left another lingering kiss on her collarbone. “I couldn’t abide your blood spilled for anything less.”

He kissed her again, his lips landing this time in the hollow of her neck. He lingered there, mouth dragging over the delicate skin, so close to the rapid beat of her heart. Her hands rested on his shoulders, holding him to her. His tongue darted out to taste her, tracing over the line of her life’s blood pulsing under her skin. So strong, so vibrant and alive. He had never doubted for a moment that she was strong enough to overpower Snoke and his guards, but the thought that she might be lost to their foolish plan had haunted him in the dark of the nights before the battle. He couldn’t imagine what he would have done if she hadn’t made it through. It would not have been anything she would have been proud to see from him, and he thanked every force in the universe for her victory. 

“You are a wonder,” he said softly, bending further to lay a kiss over her heart, just above the curve of her breast. He felt her chest expand under his touch as she inhaled sharply. 

“Am I?” she breathed, and his heart swelled to hear her sound as affected as he felt. 

“Always,” he confirmed. “A goddess among mortals.”

“Ben,” she protested, laughing gently. Her hands moved to cup his face, brushing back the long strands of hair from his cheeks. “This victory was not mine alone,” she said, tilting his face up so that his eyes met hers. 

“And yet it could not have been secured without you,” he said, raising his own hand to caress her cheek in return. She leaned into the touch, and he marvelled at this incredible woman welcoming his large and callused hand on her sun-tanned skin, even knowing all his sins. 

“Or you,” she returned. “It took all of us, but we did it Ben. We’re free.” Her thumb brushed over his cheek. “You’re free.”

He closed his eyes, savoring her words and her touch. Both filled him with more joy than he could have dreamed possible. “Free,” he said, hardly believing it. He opened his eyes to look up at her, gaze darkening with intent. “You must allow me to thank you, my lady.” His hand lowered to her waist, drifting slightly lower than was proper. 

She grinned down at him. “As I told you, my lord, your help was invaluable to the cause as well. Perhaps I should be thanking you?” With him half-kneeling, she couldn’t reach as low as he could, but her hand glided down from his face to his chest, spreading possessively over the skin bared by his ripped tunic. “You should wear all your tunics like this. It suits you.”

He laughed. "I've likely scandalized your court enough already." He covered her hand with his and schooled his face into mock-seriousness. “And I welcome your thanks, however, I feel I must first ascertain that you have sustained no other injury from our trials this day. After all, you lied about one wound. How can I trust that there are no others unless I investigate all your… secrets?”

She snorted and smiled down at him. “Very well, though I think you have discovered all my secrets many times already.” She rolled her hips towards him in bawdy invitation, her skirts brushing his chest.

“One can never be too thorough,” he promised gravely, though his lips curved as he returned them to her skin. 

“You have always been remarkably thorough,” she sighed, leaning back against the wall and opening herself to him. He pulled her dress and underthings further down her body, and she wriggled, trying to help.

“Thank you, my lady. I take great pride in it.” They worked her clothes over the slight swell of her breasts and he immediately lost the thread of the conversation. 

He leaned in and his mouth latched onto a nipple, sucking hard. His hand lowered to roll the other peak between his fingers, teasing it until it pressed firm against his palm. She gasped and arched her back into his touch. He opened his mouth to taste more of her, and his teeth grazed over her skin while his tongue flicked back and forth, leaving her breast rosy and wet. Her hands threaded through his long tresses, every so often catching on a snarl, but the small pain couldn’t begin to distract him from the taste and feel of her. His hand and mouth switched places, working her further. Her small gasps echoed in the stone hall, and he groaned in response. His unoccupied hand wrapped around her back, pressing her to him, though she showed no signs of wanting to escape. 

He could never get his fill of her, but he finally pulled back with a sucking pop. He regarded her flushed chest with satisfaction, gaze drawn to her tight nipples. Rey’s eyes had fallen closed but she cracked them open to look down at him. 

“You’re looking remarkably pleased with yourself for a man who hasn’t yet gotten below my waist,” she remarked, eyebrow raised as she smiled.

He smiled back. “Only making sure to be thorough,” he assured her. 

Her hands cupped her breasts, and his gaze immediately dropped to them, watching avidly. “I am quite confident you’ve discovered no wounds here that you haven’t left yourself,” she said. She pinched a nipple and they both groaned. His already stiff cock grew harder as she teased herself. “Well?” she said, raising a foot to rub along his side. “Will I have to finish on my own?”

“Never,” he swore. He caught her foot and pulled off her boot, then switched to the other one to do the same. Rey obliged, lifting her leg for him. 

Ben set the boots to the side and reached further up her legs, finding the trousers he knew she hid under her skirts. His hands followed her legs up to her waist, where he undid the fastenings and tugged the trousers loose, bringing her drawers down with them. He pulled the fabric down slowly, taking time to shape her lean muscles with his hands as he went.

“So strong,” he murmured as he kneaded her thighs. She smiled down at him and bent her leg to kick off the fabric puddling around her feet. 

“You’re getting distracted again,” she told him, pulling her skirts up to reveal her now bare cleft to him. 

“Am I?” He bent and kissed her knee, slowly trailing a path upwards, stopping to kiss and lick and touch each patch of skin along the way. 

“Ben,” she pleaded, her patience apparently running thin. She hooked one leg over his shoulder, pulling him even closer to her. Her heel pressed into his back and her toes narrowly avoided tangling in his hair. 

“Mmmm,” he hummed into her thigh, close enough to her center that he could smell her arousal. He turned to press his cheek to her skin, his beard rubbing against her, and brought two fingers to drift over the hair protecting her sex. “Is this where you want me, my lady?”

She arched her hips sharply into his touch, and he felt the slippery warmth of her before she pulled back. “‘ _Your lady’_ is going to commit some very improper violence if her lord doesn’t satisfy her.”

Ben smiled and brought his fingers back to her, tracing over her cleft and lower until they parted her folds. She gasped and her foot dug into his back. “Have I ever left my lady unsatisfied?” 

Before Rey could answer, Ben pushed one long finger into her, her arousal making the slide into her warmth easy. He pumped his hand, rejoicing in the wetness that dripped down his finger and onto his knuckles. His other fingers slid along her folds, spreading her arousal. He withdrew and returned with two fingers, feeling her clench around him as he sent his thumb upwards to seek the sensitive nub crowning her sex. 

She jolted when he found it, and her silken flesh tightened around his captive fingers again. His erection twitched, still confined by his trousers, remembering what it felt like to be buried inside her heat when her muscles clenched in pleasure. His free hand found its way above her mound and opened her further, exposing her to the night air and his sight. Her thighs twitched again, and he wasted no time in giving them what they both wanted. 

His thumb moved to the side, making room for his tongue on her most sensitive flesh. He leaned in and licked, covering the swollen nub. At the same time, he spread his fingers, slipping a third into her. 

“Ben!” His name emerged as a shout from her lips.

That long distant part of him that recalled court scandals and the rules of polite society remembered that they weren’t so far from the great hall, where the festivities were likely beginning to wind down. Any of the guests could hear them, or wander out and find them. But then Rey’s leg tightened on his shoulder and her walls rippled around his fingers, coating his hand further in her arousal, and anything that wasn’t her faded from his mind. She’d never been embarrassed; he knew she had no fear of being found. He would never want to damage her reputation, but standards were different here, and some part of him revelled in the thought of someone seeing them together, seeing their lady claim him. 

He opened his mouth over her, intending to gorge himself on her arousal. His tongue circled around the center of her pleasure. She wriggled against his mouth, like she couldn’t get close enough, and he quickened his pace on her pearl and in her channel. With a groan, he licked his way down to her entrance, tasting her wetness as his fingers pulled it out of her. His nose rubbed against her peak while his tongue traced the edges where his fingers disappeared into her body.

“So close, Ben!” she cried. Her hand holding up her skirts let go to tangle in his hair. The fabric fell half over his head, but he hardly noticed as he drank her in. Her fingers gathered his hair in handfuls, using it to hold him to her until he could barely breathe. Nothing mattered but her pleasure on his tongue. 

With a shout, she came, her channel gripping his fingers almost to the point of pain. His hardness ached in sympathy, desperate for her, but he ignored it to carry her through her pleasure. His hand slowed to a gentle push in and out while his tongue licked her gently, easing her back from the edge. Her hands slowly loosened their grip on his hair, and he shook it out, certain he’d lost a few strands to her spasms. A worthy sacrifice. 

Her chest heaved as he looked up her body, and he wanted to lick his way back along her flushed skin to her mouth, but he still couldn’t bear to tear himself away from the taste of her. She combed a hand through his hair, attempting futilely to ease some of the tangles she’d created. 

“Ben,” she moaned. He hummed in response, still not removing his mouth from her. Her hips started to twitch in his hold again, and her hands tugged on his hair. "Want you inside of me. It's been too long, please Ben."

"You know I would never deny you anything, my love,” he panted, dragging himself along her body as he stood from the ground. She opened her mouth to respond, but he covered it with his own. She didn’t protest. They were both beyond the point of words. 

Together, they clawed at the fabric between them. He pushed her skirts back up over her hips and she shoved his trousers down far enough to free his erection. They both groaned as their hips ground together. He took himself in hand and rubbed his cock through her wetness, slicking himself with her arousal. Her leg wrapped over his hip, opening her to him, and he took advantage, stopping to tease at her most sensitive points. He wished he could see all of her, but this wasn’t the place for either of them to fully undress, and they were too desperate to find her rooms. He satisfied himself with the sight of her half-dressed and touched by the dim light in the hall. 

She made a noise of frustration into his mouth, and her heel dug into his thigh while her fingers tightened on his shoulders. He understood. She was done waiting, and so was he. 

He guided himself to her entrance and pushed. They gasped in unison as he sunk into her, his thickness stretching her sensitive walls as he did every time. Her arousal made his glide into her easy, her folds yielding to him. He intended to take her slowly, to give her time to adjust after their weeks apart, but Rey had no such patience. Bracing herself on his shoulders, she wrapped her other leg around his waist and tightened her grip. He shouted as he sank the rest of the way in, filling her completely, and Rey groaned against his mouth. 

Ben took a moment to catch his breath, placing nipping kisses across her lips and jaw to distract her while his thumbs rubbed over her hip bones. Just before she started wriggling in his hold, he pulled back, her tightness clinging to him, then thrust back in. Rey’s back pressed into the wall and she groaned again. He ground into her, giving her the pressure she loved. 

“Harder,” she demanded between kisses. 

He withdrew and obliged, their flesh slamming together with the force of his thrust. “Yes!” she cried. Her already tight muscles clenched further around him. “More, Ben.”

Gritting his teeth, he repeated the motion, finding a pace that sent both of them racing towards their climax. Her bare breasts rubbed against his chest and what was left of his tunic. He worked himself into her with unrelenting passion, driven almost out of his mind by the slick heat of her, the clasp of her around him, the dig of her nails into his shoulders, her thighs tight on his hips. Her body aligned with his, searching for that peak together. They drove each other higher, their kisses turning messy as their minds clouded with passion. 

He used his grip on her hips to angle her and grind into the spot she needed, earning another shout of pleasure. He wondered if the feast had ended, if anyone was roaming the halls and heard the way he satisfied their lady. He dragged his mouth along her jaw, letting her groans and cries as she approached her end echo in the stone hallway. Rey made no attempt to hold herself back. Her voice jumped in pitch as he gave another sharp thrust. The slick sounds of his hips meeting hers again and again could leave no passerby in doubt of what was happening here. 

Ben’s heart raced as his climax neared, and the pace of his cock in and out of Rey became irregular. His mouth dropped to her neck, teeth dragging over her skin before he sucked a bruise into it. Rey’s nails made new marks on his back in return. His long hair clung to his neck and wrapped around her fingers. He braced her with one hand, using the other to circle just above where he filled her completely, desperate for her to reach another climax before he found his. 

His knowledge of her pleasure points didn’t fail him. With another cry of his name, her entire body clenched around him. He followed her swiftly over the edge, withdrawing so that his seed spilled over her dark curls. They leaned against each other, panting. Rey’s legs slipped down from around his hips, but he kept his hold on her to keep her upright, bracing them both against the wall. 

“I missed you so much,” he whispered into her hair when he got his voice back. 

Her arms wind around his back, holding him tight to her. “I missed you too, Ben. Missed this.”

He drew back just enough to look down at her. “Just this?” he asked, lips curving into a faint smirk. She pinched his back, but he only held her tighter, chuckling. “I missed this too,” he admitted. “I missed all of you. We barely got the chance, but I missed waking up to you.”

She smiled up at him. “Romantic,” she accused.

He laughed again. “One of use has to be.”

She hummed in agreement. “You can take the romance. I’ll be your demanding partner who refuses to let you out of my bed.”

He sighed with mock weariness. “The sacrifices I make for my lady.” He nuzzled at her neck, brushing his cheek over hers. “We should find your bed; I may as well begin on my service. We’ve likely startled your subjects enough for one night.”

Her grin had an edge of wickedness he found incredibly thrilling. “They’ll have to get used to that,” she declared. “Now that I have you, I don’t intend to let you go.”

“As my lady wishes,” he murmured, unable to keep a matching smile from his lips. 

“Your lady wishes for you to kiss her again,” she said, tilting her head up expectantly. Grinning, he did as she bade. Without lifting his lips from hers, he reached an arm behind her knees and swung her up into his arms. She laughed into his mouth. 

"I can walk on my own," she said, though she didn't make much effort to get down. 

"You can," he agreed. "However, if you do the walking, you're sure to lead us to any of the opportune corners between here and your bedroom." His hand stroked along her exposed leg to make his point. She didn't even attempt to deny it. 

"You cannot blame me for being eager to celebrate our success," she said. Her hand around his neck wound through his hair, combing the thick waves back from his face. 

"I would never," he swore. "However, if I do the walking, we can hold those celebrations in your bed." 

"My bed has been cold without you," she admitted. HIs arms tightened around her. 

"A tragedy I am honor-bound to fix,” he said, meaning the words entirely. 

As they talked, he took them through the hallways and up the stairs to her room. He’d never been able to be seen in her fortress so openly before, certainly not with her in his arms. He felt a strange sense of pride that she trusted him enough to let him do this for her, that she had no fear of being seen with him. He was still grateful they didn’t run into anyone else on their travels. Rey hadn’t bothered to pull her dress back over her breasts, and between that and the state of his own clothes, it would be obvious even to anyone who hadn’t heard them what they’d been doing. Rey didn’t seem to mind, but he’d still need time to adjust to this new freedom. 

Rey had settled into his arms by the time they approached her chamber, one hand stroking his chest while the other still threaded through his hair. He wondered if the trials of the day were finally getting to her; he’d admit to feeling the strain himself. As soon as he closed the door behind them though, Rey leaped down from his hold. Without hesitation, she stripped the rest of her clothing off. Her dress and shift fell to the floor and she stepped over them, turning to Ben with a wicked grin as she walked backwards to her bed. The fire that had already been lit in the room and its glow turned her tanned skin to gold. He couldn’t look away. 

She sat on the bed and leaned back on her arms, spreading her legs. “Well? Aren’t you going to join me?”

He’d never undressed so quickly. He shoved his pants over his hips and tore his tunic over his head, ripping it further in the process. He didn’t care. His clothes lay in a trail on the floor on his way to her. He knelt over her on the bed, his hair falling around their shoulders, and cupped her face in his hands, tilting it up to his. His lips descended on hers. She responded ardently, and he felt warmth stirring again in his core. 

“I see I have not yet sated my lady for the night,” he murmured against her lips. 

She nipped at his lips. “And what will you do about that, my lord?”

He pushed her back into the bed, covering her bare body with his. “Whatever you wish, my Rey.”

She hummed happily. “My Ben,” she sighed. She pulled herself up to kiss him again. He could taste all the nights to come on her lips, after days of standing beside her as she fought for what she believed in. He’d face it all with her. 

He smiled and let her drag him down to the bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are extremely appreciated! Going through old comments has helped keep me writing recently, so thanks to everyone who's left one <3
> 
> You can also find me on [pillowfort as thelastjedi](https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/906830), [tumblr as thewayofthetrashcompactor](https://thewayofthetrashcompactor.tumblr.com/post/617231988714258432/ive-been-having-emotions-over-this-edit-by), and [twitter as briartrash](https://twitter.com/briartrash/status/1257464796305293313)


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